Game 47: Stop the Skid

The Yankees and the Rangers are the only teams in baseball that have yet to lose three consecutive games this season, but the Bombers have lost two straight coming into tonight’s contest against the Rays. This series could create some headaches for New York with Vidal Nuno starting tomorrow and Alex Cobb starting on Sunday, so winning the opener tonight would be a pretty nice regardless of how many games they’ve lost in a row. Here’s the lineup that will face the pitcher former known as Fausto Carmona:

And on the mound is the former Falmouth Commodore (Cape Cod League), right-hander David Phelps.

The sky is clear and it’s sweltering in St. Petersburg, but that doesn’t matter because the Yankees and Rays are playing indoors. Tonight’s game is scheduled to start at 7:10pm ET and can be seen on My9 locally and MLB Network nationally. Enjoy.

If we’re to have any chance to win this series, we need this game tonight!

vicki

if we were to win this series it would be the first time at the trop since april 2010. can you believe that?

trr

I know we’ve struggled there recently, but wow!

Rolling Doughnut

Yep I can believe it. We’ve lost 9 straight there since then. One of life’s little mysteries I guess. The Trop is like the old Seattle Kingdome for us,

Winter

I’m pretty sure you can win a three game series after losing one game.

trr

Mighty tough with the pitching match ups after tonight, Winter

vicki

and i’m pretty sure he meant we can’t reasonably expect to beat both moore and cobb.

vicki

victorino and middlebrooks on the dl. here come the tears.

I’m not the droids you’re looking for…

Butbutbut teh injahreez!

Fausto Carmona’s SS#

This is a definite must win. It might be a slug fest, but we have to beat Fausto Carm…errr….Roberto Hernandez.

I hate the Trop. I hate it more than Fenway, if that’s even possible.

trr

Bah! We go through that every week!

Dr. TJ Eckleberg

My9 sucks. I hate that I can’t watch these games on Directv. Stupid.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Wait, when did Carmona change his name?

Fausto Carmona’s SS#

I think the INS changed it for him…..

Rolling Doughnut

In 2012, Dominican police arrested him accusing him of using a false name to get a visa. His real name is Roberto Heredia Hernández, and he is three years older than he reported. Why he changed it who knows? Wonder what he got up to in the DR.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Well, damn.

Roadgeek Adam

I still call him Carmona, easier to disambiguate him from the other Roberto Hernandez, who played for the Rays in the early 2000s.

That and I hate his guts.

Eddard

I think they have a good shot to win 2/3 and it starts tonight with BGDP.

Dalek Jeter

Hehe, Sterling is calling the Tampa starter Carmona!

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Hooray for dumb slides!

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

I hate when opposing teams play good defense.

Dalek Jeter

+1

Rolling Doughnut

Yeah because then we have to listen to Greg’s BABIP rants

vicki

to be fair we’ve also seen some laughably bad defense in opponents this season (talking to you, toronto).

Pat D

We’re all slipping.

For Prussia!

Dalek Jeter

I just thought!! Yes, For the mighty Prussian Empire!

Pat D

So what is everyone’s least favorite out of these three parks in which the Yankees seem to suck?

The Trop
Comerica
Angel Stadium

trr

The Trop sucks. I’ve been there. It sucks.
Did I mention it sucks?

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Angel Fucking Stadium, thank you very much.

Dalek Jeter

The Trop and it’s not even really that close. At least the other two are aesthetically enjoyable and look like a ball park. The Trop is ugly as fuck and looks like (and really is) a giant warehouse with a baseball field in it.

vicki

this. plus points for division rival.

trr

Dang! a couple of at’ems

Dalek Jeter

Hooray, a simple 10 pitch inning for a dude sporting an ERA north of 5.

trr

Couple o’ hard hit outs though, esp Cano…

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

…Featuring a diving stop for one out and a line drive right at an outfielder. We didn’t exactly go quietly.

Dalek Jeter

Yeah, well…I’m in a Greg kind of mood tonight so…it’s not really gonna get much better.

Dalek Jeter

I really hope that this is the regular line up until Youk or Tex gets back, only with Stewart as the BUC because I want to see Romine as a starter to see if he can do it in the majors.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Help from the Rays fan. Not sure Hafner makes second on that otherwise.

Eddard

They’re really kicking that old man out of the ballgame?

Wheels

I know, right?

trr

Do they REALLY have to toss that fan?

sangreal

It’s always something at this dump. Feel bad for the old guy getting kicked out

trr

I think a stern warning would suffice

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

MLB policy and it’s zero tolerance. Reach over for a ball in play and you’re gone.

Jayson Nix professional ballplayer. And that old guy forgot where he was sitting!

Dalek Jeter

He always DOES SOMETHING! #professional ballplayer

Dalek Jeter

Who brings a god damned horn to a fucking ball park?!

Wheels

Hate those vuvuzelas

Dalek Jeter

Is that what it is? Those are still a thing? I love that the Yankees banned them from the Stadium the instant they became a thing.

Wheels

Pretty certain, it sounds just like one. Same atonal drone

Dalek Jeter

I’ve only ever heard them en mass at the World Cup as background when it sounded like a fucking beehive.

Wheels

Yeah, that was brutal. It ruined watching it for me

Dalek Jeter

I’m not even a huge soccer fan, I was watching for no other reason than it was The World Cup, and the vuvuzelas made it literally unwatchable.

SDB

Can’t be that hard to figure it out… only 8 or 10 people actually go to Tropicana, right?

Eddard

Is there anything Jayson Nix can’t do?

Eddard

Calling to the pen in the 2nd inning. Get Carmona out and deplete their pen for the rest of the series.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

wow.
Make him pay, Vern. Make him pay.

vicki

get pissed, vern.

Eddard

I know Maddon is smart but this is just stupid.

Pat D

Joe Maddon: Managerial Genius.

Don’t believe me? Just ask him.

Rolling Doughnut

Walk the bases loaded w/2 outs and Wells coming up on my

Pasta

Make him pay

Eddard

That’s ok, 3 runs is all BGDP needs.

SDB

Who cares? It’s Fausto pitching, I’d love to see him go for at least 7 or 8 runs. Then onto wearing down the bullpen.

Dalek Jeter

I know we make fun of the crowds that Tampa draws, but lets be real. I just got the opportunity for a free “live look-in” from Gameday (because I’m in network I can only get the radio package) and knowing I’d get the Tampa broadcast and have to look at the ballpark I declined.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Nice play.

Wheels

Big league play right there

Rolling Doughnut

Adams continues to impress

Dalek Jeter

His throwing motion still scares the fuck out of me, but with that said, I hope I have the pleasure of that moment of fear for every play Adams makes for the next decade.

Cy Pettitte

it’s weird, out of his hand I always think, for a second, that it’s going way over Overbay’s head and then it hits him in the chest.

Dalek Jeter

Yup, it’s the over the top motion, it’s not something you regularly see out of an infielder.

The Real Greg

Katie Sharp ?@ktsharp 17m
David Adams is 8th Yankee since 1916 with at least one hit in 7 of his 1st 8 career games. Only other in last 20 years was Hideki Matsui

Eddard

At this rate Phelps might throw a CGSO with 75 pitches thrown.

Rolling Doughnut

At this rate if he throws a CG he will be over 90 pitches.

Mouse

And a perfect game, too.

Wheels

ssssh

Rolling Doughnut

DUDE:::

Dalek Jeter

No respect for the baseball gods =P

Pasta

Hey madacone is up.

Dalek Jeter

So…Hughes vs Pineda vs Phelps vs Nova. Discuss

trollolololol

Rolling Doughnut

Nova’s going to the pen. Phelps over Hughes hands down, who knows about Pineda.

Dalek Jeter

Idk how you can say “Phelp over Hughes hands down” I mean one has made something like…15 career starts (if that) and most of them have been under some kind of pitch count.

Rolling Doughnut

Yeah you’re right. Still. Phelps over Hughes (but not hands down)

Dalek Jeter

Fair enough, if I had to win a game right now I’d probably say Phelps over Hughes as well…going forward though…the decision isn’t that easy (for me anyway)

Rolling Doughnut

True enough

JobaWockeeZ

And the other has posted league average stats…or worse.

Eddard

People don’t want to hear this but Chris Stewart is by far the better option. Romine needs to go down to AAA and learn how to hit.

your mom

Who will back-up?

Dalek Jeter

Dude, you’re better at trolling than most trolls, and I feel like you don’t even try.

vicki

8gs, 28ab.

JobaWockeeZ

No.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Maybe.

Rolling Doughnut

So we send him down after 33 PA? Uh, no

Dalek Jeter

BRETT GARDNER!!!

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Gritty!!!!

Pat D

GGBG!!!!

your mom

I’m glad Fausto sucks.

vicki

y’all like offense, tune into the series up in toronto.

Pat D

Worthless Blue Jays.

SDB

I would if the score was the other way around.

vicki

it was last night. they’re just mauling each other.

Tom

That deep pitching up there… they call up some prospect who can’t get more than 4 outs.

Man, did people vastly over-rate that starting staff.

Pat D

Fred McGriff is the trivia answer by the way.

Wheels

The Crime Dog, ha

Dan in Athens

Hey I flew my dad down for his 64th today. I am the guy who had Gardys hr hit off his hand right into my dads cap. Crazy

Pat D

I’d just like to say, as I usually do, that Luke Scott should die of gonorrhea and rot in Hell.

The Real Greg

Hey baseballs do have laces.

Tom

I think that was Gardner’s 3rd HR on a first pitch fastball.

The second or third time up I think he should look to ambush that first pitch more as pitchers are often laying pitches in assuming he’s going to try and work a deep count.

http://www.penuel-law.com/ Cuso

Nova if you’re in the pen crying to yourself “Why?”

Take a look. That’s why.

vicki

lol.

Dalek Jeter

You’re fucking kidding me right?

SDB

Can CC hit Markakis or Longo?

http://www.penuel-law.com/ Cuso

We’ll see, Longo leads off next inning. He had a great at-bat last inning

It’s obvious their game plan was ‘pitch him inside inside inside inside’. If your pitcher can’t control the inside pitch, he shouldn’t be throwing it.

Dalek Jeter

Nix is having a hell of an AB here.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Very professional.

Dalek Jeter

Thanks, I feel like a bigger person positively commenting on Nix.

Wheels

good shit

Eddard

They’re leaving Curtis in which is a good sign. It would be just our luck if he went out.

Rolling Doughnut

Nix is a (very) professional ballplayer

Dalek Jeter

I hope this is an “okay, we’re up 6-0, better safe than sorry” pulling Granderson out of the game.

The Real Greg

Don’t take any chances at this point.

Put Ichiro in.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Stewie!!

Dalek Jeter

Wow. When Chris Stewart is beating you, you’ve got some issues.

Leg-End

Pile it on ’em boys.

Eddard

They’re putting on an offensive clinic tonight. This is probably the best lineup they can throw out there at this point.

The Real Greg

It seems like Chris Stewart is hitting the ball more definitively this year. Not many of those just out of reach/hit the glove hits as last year

Pat D

Eh. Not sure if you can measure that but he’s still only hitting .265 and his BABIP is right around that.

Dalek Jeter

I feel like there is a bit of confirmation bias here.

Pat D

Hits a HR last at bat, swings at a pitch at his eyes the next time.

Brett Gardner, ladies and gentlemen.

Eddard

That pitcher needs to be taken out. He’s throwing right at the hands.

Pat D

I don’t think that hit him at all.

The Real Greg

And the Oscar goes to…

Leg-End

How can the booth not see that, it clearly hit his left hand.

V

Ok, this shit is getting REALLY ridiculous. There’s no reason to be pitching Cano up and in in a 7-0 effing game. Don’t break up the perfect game, but I want Longoria drilled 2-3 times this series in retribution. Tell the Rays they can’t pull this crap and get away with it.

The Real Greg

I would not throw at any Ray until it is late. Umpires can be unpredictable and they may throw him out without warnings.

Pat D

Sigh.

Granderson better be OK.

Mykey

God I love Phelps’ mentality. The whole “here it is, hit it” thing. It can certainly blow up in his face sometimes, but when it works, I love it.

I don’t think that’s it. In hockey you can get away with playing with no teeth or a fractured pinky or whatever because hockey, while a skilled sport, is not a precision sport. The fact is, a fractured pinky makes swinging a bat and fielding very difficult, making you pretty useless.

In football, say, if your pinky is broken and you’re on the offensive line, well, you can still ram into people.

Robinson Tilapia

Great win. Knocks our guys out? We will come back, and we will come back again. Never fucking say die.